Last race of the year...

[Benman]

Willow Springs held the last race of the year for the TCRA Club.

Took the S4 1.8T for my season finale. Had a couple of practice sessions and qualifying, but unfortunately, could not participate in the race due to a failing head gasket. Oil was milky and leaking badly... Still had fun but was such a bummer to end the season that way. Dang, this car is scarey fast... My times were very slow but this was due to my driving combined with having a very difficult time heating up the 285/30/18 tires. The tires are sooo huge and the car has such a high threshold limit, it takes a lot to actually generate heat in them. Combine that with a very intimidating super fast high speed track, and taking it easy just = spins. Looped it once and car really never came into it's own.

It really, really needs to be driven hard just to handle well. Driven at 8 or 9/10ths actually makes it handle worse! Ironically, it would handle better with "little" 235 series tires due to the much easier heat generation you can get into those...

A couple of pics:

1st pic: Notice the quarter panel is missing the last two "Rings". This was from the heavy crash my uncle had at Infineon Raceway in the very last lap of the USTCC event (he was running 4th before the crash) and not being able to have replacement stickers in time...

2nd: Practice line up

3rd: Big track

4th: Fastest guy there, Viper = :king:

Ben

[Benman]

5th: final race line up. Notice I'm missing...

Ah well... We'll get em' next year.

Ben

[Erik]

Thanks for that! Better luck next year!

[alex_s3]

What a nice race car you got there,
But S4 1.8T ?

[AndyBG]

Go Ben, GO !!!

Great effort, you'r putting there!

All best wishes for the next season !

[RXBG]

stay safe out there.

[Benman]

What a nice race car you got there,
But S4 1.8T ?

Yes, the car is a S4 built by Audi Sport UK (Chassis # 00002ASUK) and was used in World Speed Challenge GT. Then sold to Stasis Engineering and since they run in World Speed Challenge (non GT) they can only run the 1.8T motor. So... 2.7T came out, 1.8T went in. We bought the car as is, and had the motor derestricted. Makes a solid 360hp and weights only 2500lbs, so yep, it's quick. And with 80% of the torque and power going to the rear wheels, it's a handfull.

Ben :s4addict:

[bilbozilla]

Congrats. Looks like you're enjoying it. That thing has got to smoke @ 2,500 lbs.

[alex_s3]

Yes, the car is a S4 built by Audi Sport UK (Chassis # 00002ASUK) and was used in World Speed Challenge GT. Then sold to Stasis Engineering and since they run in World Speed Challenge (non GT) they can only run the 1.8T motor. So... 2.7T came out, 1.8T went in. We bought the car as is, and had the motor derestricted. Makes a solid 360hp and weights only 2500lbs, so yep, it's quick. And with 80% of the torque and power going to the rear wheels, it's a handfull.

Ben :s4addict:

Thanks for all the technical info, great specs!
Good luck for the nest season.

[Leadfoot]

Yes, the car is a S4 built by Audi Sport UK (Chassis # 00002ASUK) and was used in World Speed Challenge GT. Then sold to Stasis Engineering and since they run in World Speed Challenge (non GT) they can only run the 1.8T motor. So... 2.7T came out, 1.8T went in. We bought the car as is, and had the motor derestricted. Makes a solid 360hp and weights only 2500lbs, so yep, it's quick. And with 80% of the torque and power going to the rear wheels, it's a handfull.

Ben :s4addict:

Ben,

I see you say the torque split on the quattro system is 20/80 to the rear, is this adjustable and if so have you tried it at a more equal setting and what effect did it have on the feel of the car and the lap times.

It might give us an insight as to why Audi have choose it's 40/60 split on it's road cars.

P.S.

I take it with 200hp/litre there is a bit of lag to contend with.

[Benman]

Thanks guys

Bilbozilla, yes it smokes and yes, I love it!

Leadie,

It is preset at 20/80. I'm thinking it could be adjusted, but I'm not sure. That is the ratio that Stasis uses for all of their race cars (it is their diff) and so, this is the one used in the car. To be honest, it feels completely like a very light, very powerful rear wheel drive vehicle, nothin at all like a quattro equiped car. It demands lots of faith for the quattro to "kick in", and to date, I am lacking that faith, hence, several "looped" occurances. In time...

As for lag, suprisingly, very little! Instant power everywhere! Besides, in a racecar, when are you ever not close to redline?

Ben

[Leadfoot]

The reason I asked about the lag was to try short shifting which would not unsettle the car as much as throttle smoothness is less of a problem, something that's needed especially on a track and might make it easier to get use to. I also think taking most power from the rear will help settle the car and though ultimately be slower in the right hands will make it quicker for you.

If it isn't too difficult you should try it and see.

[Benman]

The reason I asked about the lag was to try short shifting which would not unsettle the car as much as throttle smoothness is less of a problem...

Believe me, I'm already using that technique.

Ben

[Leadfoot]

Well then Ben, sorry to say it, but your crap.

No seriously, I think changing the torque split will make a big difference for you.

[Benman]

Well then Ben, sorry to say it, but your crap.

No seriously, I think changing the torque split will make a big difference for you.

Yes, I know that going from 20/80 to 40/60 will make the car much more "user friendly" as the other car I've raced, a Honda Prelude was much easier to drive as it's a front wheel drive. My first outing in the Prelude was a 2nd place finish and was very easy for me to drive quickly through mixed traffic (nothing like passing a Spec Miata as a 500hp Dodge Viper comes blasting pass on the inside! ).

The Audi however is proving a much longer learning curve. I'll try to hang in there with the current torque bias. If not, I may have to "dumb it down" to my level.

Ben